Goslings
by ElysianDreamCatcher
Summary: The sequel to Surrender. Story covers the life together with Emma Swan, Regina Mills, and Henry Mills. The wraith attack never took place, Emma and Snow never went to the enchanted forest, Cora and Hook never made it to Storybrooke, and Pan never got close enough to snatch Henry. Life should be easy, right?
1. 1 - Labels

I still don't own any of this. Please don't sue me.

* * *

 _Previously in Surrender -_

 _Henry opened the door and stepped into Gold's pawn shop three weeks later. He lucked out in that just the person he was looking for was seated behind the counter._

 _"Hi, Belle," he began as he approached the counter. "Or should I call you grandma now?"_

 _Belle blushed. "Why don't we just stick with Belle."_

 _Henry nodded with a smile._

 _"What can I do for you, Henry," Belle asked._

 _"According to the book, Rumpelstiltskin had a huge library in his castle, with tons of books on magic and… everything. And the book implied that you were a huge bookworm and probably one of the smartest people back in the Enchanted Forest."_

 _"I wouldn't say I was the_ _smartest_ _person back home, but did I love a good book," Belle replied, smiling at the boy._

 _"So do you think you could help me figure something out? I have a problem and I'm pretty sure it's covered somewhere in the lore of the Enchanted Forest, but I don't know where to look," Henry admitted._

 _"I'd be delighted to help you, assuming you're not out to hurt someone, but I can't imagine that being you."_

 _Henry smiled. "No, it's something to help my moms. It's for phase four."_

 _"Phase four," Belle asked in confusion._

 _Henry leaned forward and looked about as if making sure they were alone. "Yeah, phase four of Operation Mother Goose."_

* * *

Chapter 1 - Labels

* * *

"I'm telling you, Henry, this isn't something we can do on our own," Belle insisted.

Henry frowned. "But his help always comes with a price."

Belle leaned forward to grab his hand where it was resting on the counter and gave it a squeeze. "You're his grandson, Henry. Even if you believe he wouldn't do it for you, he would do it for Bae, or for me."

The boy's eyebrows lifted in surprise before creasing skeptically. "That would only apply if either of you wanted to help my moms. I know my dad was disappointed that Emma chose my Mom over him and… well… the less said about what Mom did to you, the better."

Belle gave him a sad smile. "I've forgiven her. She came by a while back to personally apologize to me and I forgave her. She's not the same woman who locked me in that room." Belle grinned. "And I think a lot of that change in her is thanks to you. So, even if you don't think I'd ask on her behalf, I'd still ask on yours."

"Thanks, Belle. I'm really glad you've been so willing to help." Henry took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. "I suppose if you think asking grandpa for help is the only way, then that's what we'll have to do."

"Thank you, for being willing to trust me on this. I might be able to find the recipe for the potion you'll need, but Rumple's the one who can get ahold of the right ingredients and mix them correctly."

Henry nodded. "All right then. You sure you're okay asking him for this?"

"I am. It's really nice what you're trying to do for your moms and I'm happy to help."

* * *

"Say again," Rumpelstiltskin asked. "He wants what?"

Belle sighed. "He's trying to find a way for his two mothers to be able to have a child together. She would be his little sister. From my reading I can tell that it has been done before, always producing a daughter, and that it seems to require the potion of the bountiful womb."

Rumple shook his head. "May I assume that they have no idea what he's asked of you?"

"No. He didn't want to get their hopes up if we turned up empty handed."

After a moment's consideration, Rumple replied, "It may be possible, but it's going to require something with a bit more kick."

"Why," Belle asked in surprise. "From what I've read, it hasn't been done all that many times, but it always worked when it was attempted."

"That would be correct," Rumple began, "However, in this case, there's more to overcome than simple biology. Back in her darker days Regina once became convinced that if she ever had a child, Cora would use the babe to manipulate or supplant her. She consumed a potion of her own to prevent conception."

"That's so sad. Was her mother really that bad?"

Rumple made a show of considering for a second before replying, "Yes."

Belle frowned. "So we need to find a way to cure her before the potion of the bountiful womb will work?"

"Not exactly," Rumple replied. "Because Regina won't be conceiving in the er… _traditional_ fashion, her prior efforts to poison her womb, which acted to bar conception, shouldn't apply. Still, I suspect I'm going to need to make something of an extra strength version of the fertility potion to override it."

"It can be done," Belle asked, looking at Rumple expectantly.

"I think so, yes. You can tell Henry that I should have something ready for him in a couple of days."

* * *

"So Mom, I've been thinking," Henry began.

Him and his two mothers were seated at the dining room table, enjoying a meal of chicken enchiladas, black beans, and rice. At his comment both women gave him their attention, then looked to each other, not entirely sure which of them he'd been addressing.

"And that's what I wanted to ask you about. I think if I keep trying to call you both Mom… it'll eventually get awkward."

Regina nodded, but looked tense. "Did you have an idea on what you'd like to do, sweetheart?"

Henry bit his lip and looked at Emma. "Here's the thing. Mom," he nodded his head towards Regina, "has been my Mom for as long as I can remember, and I can't imagine calling her anything else."

"It's okay, kid. I understand. If I had a Mom like her growing up I wouldn't want to call her anything else either," Emma replied. "It's okay for you to just call me Emma. I don't mind." She tried to play it off as if it was no big deal, but Henry could see right through it. She wanted to be his Mom too, badly.

"So I thought about other names," Henry pressed on. "Like Mommy, or Mama, or Ma. But they just don't seem right." He stopped for a moment, looking down and moving the beans around on his plate. "Then I got this idea that maybe I could use a code name. Something where when you heard it, you would know I was talking to you, and calling you Mom, just without using the word Mom."

Emma grinned, "And since I'm the cool Mom, I get the code name, right?"

Henry glanced at Regina to make sure she wasn't taking any offense. Seeing her barely suppressed laughter, he looked back to Emma and continued. "I was thinking that I could combine Emma and Mommy into one word, Emmy. What do you think? Would you like that?"

Regina reached over to take Emma's hand. "Well Emmy?"

Emma nodded with a sniffle. "Yeah, kid. I'd like that."

* * *

Regina lay sated, snuggled up against her lover. Her head rested on Emma's chest as her left hand traced circles on the blonde's stomach. She found Emma's warmth, and the rhythmic beating of her heart, to be a natural relaxant. The missing piece of the puzzle, a complement to the love she received from their son, made her feel whole.

Glancing up, she was surprised to see a more serious expression on Emma's face. Usually, at times like this, she'd be sporting a goofy grin, or stifling a yawn, but not tonight. "What's troubling you, dear?"

Emma looked down and saw the gentle concern in Regina's eyes. She hadn't realized that her thoughts were written so clearly on her face. "I was just thinking about our future," she admitted.

Regina cringed. "Is it really that dire?"

"No, not… just no. I didn't mean it like that." Emma was feeling flustered by her inability communicate. "Our future is together, and it's gonna be awesome. I was just… fretting over some details."

Regina could see the truth in her eyes and decided to take some pressure off. Closing her eyes and dipping her head, she allowed her fingers to resume their play. "Want to talk about it? You can tell me anything, you know."

"I know, it's just… everything is great right now and… well... rocking the boat has never turned out well for me."

"But you feel like you need to," Regina concluded.

"Maybe." Emma sighed. "I was thinking about your first marriage."

Regina's whole body tensed up for a moment, before she forced herself to relax. _"He's dead. He can never hurt you again. She's nothing like him. You can trust her."_

Feeling the brunette slowly relax, Emma continued, "I know it was an awful experience, and I wish you'd never had to go through it. What I'm wondering is… do you think you'd ever… if you could freely choose would you ever…"

Lifting her head, Regina planted a soft kiss on Emma's chin before placing her ear back over her heart. "If it was the right person. If they made me feel safe. I might be able to."

When Emma remained silent, Regina continued, "After I lost Daniel, the first time, I thought that was it for me. I found my love. I lost him. I'd never love again. Simple math, really. And there was no way in hell I was ever going to allow myself to be coerced into another unholy union. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I could never even conceive of having someone I'd want to marry."

"But if you did find someone like that…"

Regina's light fingers ceased their play and stretched out to Emma's side so that she could pull herself closer. "I would hold them tight and never let them go."


	2. 2 - Travel

Chapter 2 - Travel

* * *

Henry noticed that breakfast the next morning seemed off. There was a subtle tension between his mothers. This convinced him it was the perfect time to bring up his latest idea.

"Now that things have settled down, and the town is safe, I think we should do something for us." Henry took a bite of his pancakes and waited for his moms to give him their attention. "I think it's time we take a family vacation."

Emma and Regina looked at each other for a moment, seeming to communicate telepathically, before looking back to their son.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. Where do you think we should go," Regina asked.

"I'm not sure. New York would be cool, because of all the stuff to see and do there, but I was also kind of thinking about Acadia National Park." Henry paused, knowing his moms wouldn't like what he was about to suggest. "And unlike New York, I'm betting Dad's never been there before."

"When you said family vacation, we thought you meant," Emma gestured awkwardly around the table.

"Yeah. I know. But this way is better," Henry tried to assure. "Dad… doesn't really feel like dad yet, he's more like an older brother or crazy uncle. I thought this would be a good chance to connect with him. Besides, if the two of us share a room, that will leave the two of you alone for all of your mushy love stuff."

Regina thought the way her son wrinkled his nose at the 'mushy love stuff' was adorable. "And I'm guessing you knew I wouldn't want to leave you in a room by yourself."

"Well, yeah," Henry confirmed, turning to focus on his mother. "Besides, this way we could split up if we needed to, like if we were interested in different things. So if me and Emmy wanted to go for a hike or something, you'd get a chance to talk with dad, maybe get to know him a little bit. Or if me and you wanted to stay in and read, Emmy and dad could go out and do something else."

Seeing his mother's discomfort at the thought of Emma and Neal spending time together, he quickly continued. "You know Emmy loves you to pieces and doesn't think of dad that way at all anymore."

Emma nodded emphatically. "Ship. Sunk. Seriously."

Regina blushed. She hated needing the reassurance that Emma was hers, but loved how quick both members of her family were to give it. They understood her fear, well enough anyway, and made sure she knew she had nothing to worry about. The protected feeling it gave her was nice.

"I suppose I could tolerate Bae for a few days," Regina begrudgingly admitted.

"He prefers to go by Neal now," Emma reminded her.

"I know," Regina replied with a smirk, making Emma roll her eyes.

* * *

"What I tell ya, the peppered jerky is the best," Neal remarked with a grin.

"It's weird. It's like it's not really spicy, but it is." Henry grabbed another piece. "Either way it's awesome."

Emma leaned over in her seat to whisper to Regina. "It's like having two kids, isn't it?"

Regina glanced at her companion, then up into the rearview mirror at Henry and Neal. She rolled her eyes before looking forward again at the road ahead of them. "We may want to ask Henry to make sure that Bae remembers to brush his teeth before bed."

Emma snickered. "And wash his hands before eating."

Henry turned to Neal then glanced at Emma before giving his best Mom impression, "And comb his hair before going out in public."

Neal lifted his hands and dropped them in mock disgust. "I thought this was gonna be a nice family trip, not a roast."

Regina locked eyes with him briefly through the mirror and smirked. "Can't take the heat, stay out of the back seat."

"If you wanted me to ride shotgun so you could have someone decent to talk to, all you had to do was ask," Neal replied.

A look of horror crossed Regina's face and Emma gasped. Reaching over, Emma set her hand on Regina's thigh. "Don't worry muffin, I won't let the bad man sit up here."

"Muffin," came three nearly simultaneous exclamations.

Emma cringed. "Too far?"

"Too far," Henry confirmed.

Regina patted Emma's hand condescendingly. "It's alright dear. Not all of us get visited by the wit fairy."

"Hey! I'm plenty witty," Emma replied, crossing her arms with a pout.

"Of course you are, dear."

Henry grinned and leaned forward so his mothers could hear him better. "Thanks for taking us on this trip. It's a lot of fun already."

"It's our pleasure," Regina replied, catching Henry's eyes briefly in the mirror. "I'm glad my little prince is having a good time."

"Yeah, and uh… thanks for bringing me along," Neal added. "You didn't have to invite me and it means a lot that you did."

"Of course, Bae," Regina replied neutrally.

Neal rubbed his temple. "Do you think you could call me Neal?"

"No, Bae," Regina replied, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Neal muttered, "Evil queen."


	3. 3 - Vacation

Chapter 3 - Vacation

* * *

Emma and Regina were sprawled out on a blanket. From where they were laying, they could watch Henry and Neal playing in the surf. Henry had wanted to come out to the beach after dinner, and neither of his mothers were opposed, so here they were.

"When I pictured us a laying on a beach together, I imagined it would be warmer," Emma commented. She was happy Regina had insisted on picking up the touristy sweat shirts and wearing them down here. Maine in the summer was still Maine.

"Was it the warmth you were picturing," Regina asked with a grin, "or just me in something that showed off some skin?"

Emma blushed and gave her a playful slap. "It's a good thing Henry thought to bring Neal."

"Oh?"

Snuggling closer, Emma continued. "It'll be nice, just the two of us each night."

"And what would be doing that we couldn't with Henry in the room," Regina asked, her face the picture of innocence.

Emma leaned in and whispered into Regina's ear, her words making the brunette blush. "Ms. Swan. Do you talk to our son with that mouth?"

"I do lots of things with this mouth," Emma husked, making Regina shiver.

"You do indeed," Regina replied as she claimed Emma's lips for a kiss.

"DAMN THAT'S COLD!"

Looking up, the two women saw Neal gasping for breath as he struggled to his feet after apparently having his legs knocked out from under him by a larger wave.

Turning back to Emma, Regina could see that while the moment wasn't gone, it had changed somehow. While Emma was still looking out at her son and his father, her mind was clearly much farther away. Regina knew she would talk when she was ready, so she merely snuggled closer and looked out at the ocean.

"Henry's been the joy of your life."

Regina thought it sounded almost like a question, but not. She decided to wait for her partner to clarify.

"Did you ever think about getting him a little brother or sister," Emma asked, still looking out over the horizon.

"Honestly… I never considered it. My little prince meant everything to me, I was finally happy, and I didn't want to risk anything changing that. You're not the only one who gets nervous about 'rocking the boat.'"

Emma looked back to Regina and realized, "It really sucked for you when I showed up, didn't it?"

Regina shook her head. "It was when he found out he was adopted that… He thought I'd lied to him about being his mother."

Reaching out, Emma wiped a tear from Regina's face. "You did too good of a job raising him. He never knew what it was like to go to bed hungry, or cry and have no one care. _I_ know how good he had it, and it's a testament to you that he never understood that."

"Thank you," Regina whispered.

"Can I ask why you adopted," Emma began hesitantly. "Was there a reason you and Graham never… was it the curse preventing you from…"

"A curse, yes, but not the dark curse. I became barren many years before we we're brought to this world." Emma could practically feel the pain radiating off of Regina as she continued. "I did it to myself."

Emma pulled her into a hug and spoke softly. "I am so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too."

After waiting for the brunette to stop trembling in her arms, Emma pressed on. "It might be nice to have more kids. And I know it's not the same, but… I wouldn't mind having them for us, or adopting if you'd prefer. There are a lot of kids out there in bad places that we could help."

"You'd want that… with me?"

Emma cupped Regina's cheek. "Of course I would. You're an amazing Mom." Emma turned to look down the beach and tipped Regina's face to do so as well. "The proof is right there, taking care of his two-hundred-year old father who acts like he's barely a day over twelve."

* * *

"She really loves our kid, doesn't she," Neal commented. He and Emma were enjoying a late breakfast while Regina and Henry had gotten up early to watch the sunrise.

Emma narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yeah, I know, he's not my kid. But he kind of is, not as much as yours and hers, but… a little bit."

The disapproving gaze lingered a second before Emma's attention returned to her Belgian waffle.

"At first I was worried about the whole 'evil queen' thing, but now that just seems like a lot of bullshit. Other than refusing to call me Neal, I haven't seen her do a single evil thing. I mean, she could have killed Tamara. Papa certainly would have."

"Oh she used to be evil, believe me, I've seen it." Emma set down her fork and looked Neal in the eyes. "That all got left behind when the curse broke. She would die for Henry. And I don't mean that in the theoretical sense, I mean she walked willingly into city hall not knowing if they would execute her."

Neal sat up a bit straighter. He'd heard the story from his papa, but hadn't really believed it.

"She didn't fight back, or struggle, or anything. She let them chain her to the ceiling and…" Emma shook her head, trying to fight back the tears. "I had to carry her home because she couldn't stand on her own after what they did to her. Two days later she invited my parents into her home and fed them. Three days after that she stopped king George from murdering my father. She literally saved Prince Charming's life just five days after he tortured and humiliated her in front of the whole damn town. She didn't do it for herself, and she sure as hell didn't do it for him. She did it for Henry and for me."

"Fuuucckk," Neal sighed. "That's some messed up shit right there."

"Henry almost died the day that the curse broke. That was it for her." Emma shook her head. "The only time she's raised a hand in anger since then is when those two assholes tried to kill us all."

Neal nodded and took a drink of coffee. Setting it down, he opened up. "I was kinda worried that she was gonna be like my papa. When he originally became the dark one, it was because he wanted to save me from fighting in the Ogre's War." Neal ran his hand over his face. "But it didn't stop there. The darkness completely took a hold of him and he just killed and killed. I tried to convince him to change, I begged him to follow me to a land without magic, but he always chose the power over me."

"Regina's not like that at all, is she. It sounds like she understands how dangerous her power is and is trying to shield him from it. It's not the same as giving it up, but if she set her anger aside like she did with your parents…" Neal trailed off as he rubbed his forehead. "It's more than papa ever did."

"Rumpelstiltskin is… a real piece of work, but he does love you. You know that, right," Emma asked.

Neal chuckled bitterly. "He loves me alright. Just not as much as he loves his power."

"Give it time. You never know, one of these days he might surprise you."


	4. 4 - Price

Chapter 4 - Price

* * *

"You have it," Henry asked excitedly.

He and his family had returned the night before. As soon as breakfast was done he'd hurried off to visit the library, but not to pick out some books as his moms had assumed.

Belle smiled down at the animated boy in front of her. "Rumple has it in his shop but…"

Henry had already turned away and was running out the front door.

"It's a bit complicated," Belle finished, shaking her head.

It only took a couple of minutes for Henry to make it over to the shop and dash inside. He was breathing heavily as he pulled up in front of the counter.

Rumple looked down and laughed. "Run all the way here, did you?"

Henry laughed back as he nodded. "You have it?"

"I do." Taking in his grandson's excitement, Rumple lifted a finger to pause him. "Before you get ahead of yourself, there are a few caveat's you need to be aware of."

 _"I wondered what the price would be,"_ Henry thought as he went from ecstatic to almost somber.

"It's nothing that bad, my dear boy. Just a couple things you need to be aware of. Principally, this is a very… heavy potion." Rumple pulled the vial from his pocket and held it up for Henry to see. It was a simple glass vial containing an amber liquid that appeared to be faintly glowing. "Which is to say, that it could give your mother an upset stomach, possibly even make her sick. Think of it like a medicine that can cause nausea. Your mother's best bet would be to dilute it with something acidic, like a glass of orange juice."

Henry tilted his head, trying to puzzle something out. "You said my _mother_ , not my _mothers._ Does only one of them need to take it, and which one?"

"Very observant. Yes, only one of your mothers need to take it, and it must be Regina."

"Why?"

Rumple huffed in amusement. "That's a question best directed to her. She'll know why." After giving Henry a few seconds to mull that over, Rumple continued. "The other thing they need to know, if Regina is not aware of it already, is that your mother's will need to be… intimate, within about eight hours of consuming the potion. After that, the potion will have worn off and I imagine you'll be back in here asking for another batch, and I do not like repeating my work."

Henry nodded, biting his lip. _"No mention of a price yet. This seems almost too easy. Maybe it's a trick, and that's why he wants to make sure Mom drinks it and not Emmy."_

Interpreting Henry's silence as acquiescence to his instructions, Rumple held out the vial to him.

Shifting awkwardly, Henry forced his hands down to his sides. "How do I know this isn't some sort of trick, something to hurt my Mom? I know you've never really liked her, especially after…"

Rumple sat the vial down on the counter and leaned forward, resting his hands on its surface. "While it's true that there is no love lost between Regina and I, I would never jeopardize my relationship with Bae. He's just starting to trust me again and poisoning your mother would ruin that."

 _"He's probably telling the truth, but I can't risk hurting my Mom on a probably."_ "How about… we make a deal," Henry suggested.

Rumple stood straight and laughed. "A deal?"

"Yeah," Henry replied, warming to his new idea. "Because if we make a deal for the potion, we can work in a clause that it can't hurt either of my moms in any way."

"As much as I would like to do that, you do realize that childbirth _is_ going to hurt?"

Henry snorted. "Well yeah, but… how about nothing permanent? No pain or harm that last longer than say… 24 hours."

Rumple considered it. "If I were to make that deal, what would you offer me in return?"

Henry grinned. "That's easy. The thing you want more than anything is to rebuild your relationship with my dad. So, I'll agree to do a family dinner at your house, just the four of us, once a week for a year. With two outs in case I something comes up like a vacation or whatever. Fifty dinners over a year. What do you think?"

"I think," Rumple began as he snatched up the vial and extended it to his grandson, "we have a deal."

* * *

Stepping into the house, Emma inhaled deeply and groaned. Heading for the kitchen, she called ahead of her, "Oh my God, what is that smell?"

Regina smiled at Emma as she came around the corner. "Shepherd's pie… Not your father's recipe."

"Whatever it is, it smells amazing." Emma gave Regina a soft kiss on the lips before heading back to the entry way to remove her boots. _"I have so got to put a ring on that."_

Regina followed her out of the kitchen. "Could we have a brief chat before dinner?" Her eyes drifted briefly in the direction of Henry's room before returning to the sheriff.

Emma nodded in understanding. "Sure thing. Nothing bad, I hope?"

Regina started to open her mouth and then closed it. "A little of both, I suppose," she replied as she guided them into the living room.

Emma took a seat on the couch and pulled Regina down, practically into her lap. "Why don't you start with the bad part."

"Henry made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin."

Regina watched as Emma's eyes widened and she drew in a deep breath in preparation to loudly summon their son. "Just hold on a bit," Regina replied, trying to calm her partner. "It's not _that_ bad."

"Oh really," Emma challenged.

"Really. Henry has merely agreed to have dinner over there once a week for the next year, with Belle and his father."

Emma tilted her head, considering it. "So… he's giving Rumple a chance to eat with _Neal_ once a week for a year."

Regina nodded.

"I'm guessing that was Henry's idea. Smart kid." Emma nodded to herself, still thinking about it, before asking, "So what is our son getting out of it? I mean, what could he have gotten from the dark one that he couldn't get from one of us for free?"

"A gift for us," Regina replied, biting her lip.

"Oh… what is it?"

Regina's hands fidgeted nervously in her lap. "Henry found a way for the two of us to have a baby. One that would be both of ours."

The first thing Regina saw in Emma's eyes was surprise, but that was quickly overtaken by a look of excitement and joy. "Like, we can seriously have a little mini you-and-me?"

Regina nodded vigorously, smiling now that she'd seen how well Emma had taken to the news.

"Ahhhh… our boy made a deal with the dark one so we could have a baby together." Emma's joy suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of fear. "He's not going to steal someone else's baby is he?"

"NO," Regina assured her. "It's just a simple potion."

"Really," Emma asked, relaxing back into the couch. "This is so awesome." Suddenly she giggled. "What on earth are we going to do to top that for his birthday?"

Regina scoffed. "Really, Miss Swan. That's where you went with this?"

"I warned you not to 'Miss Swan' me," Emma replied as she narrowed her eyes.

Regina's eyes widened. "NO," she cried out, but it was too late. Emma had already begun tickling her off of the couch.

* * *

The following evening, Regina carried the amber vial into the kitchen and set it down on the counter as she began preparing dinner. She cast glances at it occasionally as she diced tomatoes for the marinara sauce that would accompany chicken parmigiana that evening.

Once everything was on the stove or in the oven, she walked to the refrigerator and poured herself a tall glass of orange juice. Picking up the vial she pulled the glass stopper and sniffed the contents subtly. She squinted as her eyes began to water from the strong odor coming off the amber liquid. Finally, she poured the contents into her glass of orange juice and retrieve a long spoon to stir it in.

Sniffing the orange juice she found that the odor was much reduced and decided to talk a sip. A mixture of citrus and alcohol flavor coated her tongue. Several large gulps followed, and the glass was soon half empty.

Regina's stomach grumbled. After a moment's consideration she set down the glass and went back to the refrigerator. "I know there's some baby carrots in here somewhere," she muttered.

"There you are," she said to the bag of baby carrots.

"Ooohh Mimosa… Or screwdriver."

Regina turned around, carrots in hand, and looked wide eyed at Emma, who had already downed half of the remaining juice. "Emma, No!"

Emma froze, the glass still touching her lower lip. Lowering it slightly she asked, "What?"

"That's not a screwdriver, that's the potion our son got from Rumpelstiltskin."

"Jesus, why didn't you tell me?" Emma almost fumbled the glass before setting it back down on the counter. "I thought you were just getting an early start."

"On the night we were going to try to make a baby," Regina asked incredulously, making the blonde cringe.

"Sorry."

Regina huffed and snatched up the glass, downing the remaining juice in one long pull. "Let's hope that's enough."


	5. 5 - Gifts

Chapter 5 - Gifts

* * *

"Well, what do they say," Emma asked loudly through the bathroom door. The couple had waited for two agonizing weeks to pass before having Regina take a pregnancy test.

When the door slowly opened, Emma looked at Regina's sad eyes and slumped shoulders. The hand not on the doorknob was clutching three test sticks.

Emma's heart broke. Reaching out she pulled Regina into a hug. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"Me too," Regina whispered back. "We're never going to sleep again."

Pulling back sharply, Emma caught the devilish gleam in Regina's eyes. "You're evil," Emma laughed, giving the brunette a playful shove.

"And you," Regina replied, pointing at the blonde, "are going to be a father."

Emma giggled. "Does that mean I can get one of those 'World's Proudest Dad' shirts?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Just what I need, three children to raise."

Grabbing Regina's hands, Emma gushed, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no... 'Baby Daddy.'"

* * *

"Regina," Emma asked, looking up in surprise. "It's a little early for lunch, don't you think?"

The brunette sat down across from her and placed a small, white, paper sack on the Sheriff's desk. Emma raised an eyebrow. "That's not from Granny's."

Regina eyed the bag nervously, glancing back and forth between it and Emma, not so subtly encouraging her to open it.

Emma took the bag hesitantly, only looking down when it was close enough to peer inside. "Uhhh… you already did this. Is something wrong?"

"I've done this… but you haven't."

The bag dropped to the desk as Emma turned white. "No."

Regina swallowed hard. "You've been sick the last two mornings."

"But, but… Gold said you had to take the potion. Remember, it had to be you," Emma pleaded, starting to hyperventilate.

"Yes… but you drank some of it," Regina reminded her calmly.

Emma looked from Regina, to the bag, then back again. She stood abruptly, snatching the bag, and dashing for the restroom.

Regina rose and walked over to the restroom door. Her hand hovered over the wooden surface, unsure if she should follow her partner in.

A few minutes later the door opened and Emma stepped out, eyes wide. "We're both going to need shirts. Not that either us will be able fit into them for much longer."

Grabbing Emma's hands, she drew them to her chest. "How are you feeling," she asked, searching her eyes.

Emma blinked twice and focused on the brown eyes only inches away. _"I know those eyes. She had them that night in the vault. She was terrified then and she is now."_ Her face changed to one of concern. "Why are you afraid?"

Regina's eyes dropped to their clasped hands. "This isn't what you… we never talked about this… you weren't expecting…"

"Shhh, it's okay," Emma tried to reassure. Brown eyes looked back up to her. "Don't you remember, back in Acadia? I told you I wouldn't mind having our baby. I meant it then and I mean it now."

Closing her eyes, Regina released Emma's hands and pulled her into a hug. Resting her head on the blonde's shoulder she said, "I love you so much, Emma Swan."

Emma pulled back. "I love you, too." Glancing down, she continued, "And I love both of our babies."

Regina smiled. " _Our_ babies."

* * *

"Don't you think this will cause a stir," Emma asked as she followed Regina down the steps from the Mills family crypt into Regina's vault. "Or is that exactly what you're hoping for."

"That only applies if we're seen in Storybrooke," Regina replied, stepping into the bright room behind the mirror door.

"Oh?"

"I found a place in Portland that should be perfect for us."

Emma smiled warmly. "Is this like a mini babymoon?"

"Something like that."

"I must say, you've really cleaned this place up." Emma turned herself about slowly. Not only were the broken cabinet and chair gone, along with the accompanying debris, but the room was also much less cluttered. _"Looks like someone did a bit of spring cleaning."_

"Thank you, dear." Regina turned back to Emma and gave her quick peck. "Why don't you find something you like while I hunt for a… trinket."

"Yes, ma'am," Emma replied, excited to spend some time perusing the Evil Queen's decadent garments.

Regina walked over to a smaller cabinet on the far wall and pulled out a delicately crafted jewelry box. After looking over her shoulder to confirm that Emma's eyes were otherwise occupied, she peeked inside. With a nod to herself she waved her left hand over the box, rearranging the contents. Satisfied, she snapped the box shut and turned to find the blonde.

"As absolutely hot as these dresses are, I don't know if you can really wear any of them out in the world, unless you're taking me to a goth wedding."

Regina laughed. "What about your favorite," she asked, pointing at the burgundy dress that had caught Emma's attention the last time they were down here.

Emma walked over to it and considered. "Honestly… any place that's nice enough for this, I wouldn't have a single thing to wear to."

Sighing, Regina replied, "Well, I suppose we can save these for more private… entertainments."

When Emma turned to face Regina, her cheeks were flushed. Swallowing, she lifted her hand and pointed to the jewelry box Regina was carrying. "What have you got there?"

Regina gave her a shy grin. "I thought maybe you'd like to pick out a little something for yourself?"

Emma stepped close and delicately lifted the box's lid. She gasped as she looked inside. Staring back at her were over a dozen rings in a mix of diamond, emerald, ruby, and sapphire. She looked up in shock to see the brunette nod gently then gesture back to the box.

Gulping, Emma's hand reached out and hovered over the contents of the box. Hazel eyes glanced up to brown ones before looking back down and pointed to one with a marquise cut sapphire. The gem was set in white gold and surrounded by small diamonds.

Regina smiled. Setting the box down on an end table, she removed the sapphire ring and reached for Emma's left hand. With their hands clasped, Regina again looked up into hazel eyes. "You know this has nothing to do with our babies and everything to do with what you mean to me?"

Tears were forming in Emma's eyes and she didn't trust herself to speak, so she simply nodded.

"Emma Swan, you make my life feel complete in a way that I thought it could never be. You've shared with me your son, trusted in me when no one else would, and have forgiven me for things I thought there could never be forgiveness for. We've had our rocky moments, and we've both hurt one another in the past, but we've chosen to overcome and move on, together. I love you, Emma Swan, with all of my heart. If you let me, I will cherish you all the days of my life. And so I ask you now, please allow me to make you my wife?"

Emma nodded again, her lips trembling.

With smooth grace, Regina lifted Emma's left hand and slid the ring on to her third finger. Lifting the hand further she placed a soft kiss on Emma's knuckles. She then placed her left palm on Emma's chest and whispered, "Mine." Pulling Emma's left hand onto her own chest, she whispered, "Yours."


	6. 6 - Swamped

Chapter 6 - Swamped

* * *

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask." Doctor Whale wasn't particularly renowned for his bedside manner, and it showed. While he was curious about who had managed to knock up both women, he also knew they weren't about to share that information with him. Sighing, he rolled the ultrasound cart over towards the exam table and lifted the transducer. "Which one of you wants to be first to get this jammed up their hoo-ha?"

Emma looked at Regina with disgust. "Is he seriously the only doctor in the whole damn town."

"Cursed, not damned," Whale corrected. "And apparently so. Now, if you don't want my services you are more than welcome to drive into Portland every few weeks for the next nine months. And God help you if you both go into labor on the same day. That would be a road trip to remember."

Regina ground her teeth. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."

Whale left the room while both women removed the lower garments and covered themselves with the provided sheets. Regina climbed onto the exam table, insisting to go first, while Emma took a seat. They both found the following procedure to be extremely uncomfortable, both for the brunette being probed and the blonde being forced to sit and watch.

Those feelings changed to awe when Whale pointed out a dime sized round shape on the small ultrasound screen. "There's baby number one. Looks perfectly normal at this point. Give me a sec and I'll get you a couple pictures printed out."

Emma had scooted her chair closer and was clutching her fiancée's hand. "That's our baby. She's real."

Whale turned back to the sheriff. "It's way too early to tell the sex of the baby."

Regina and Emma shared a knowing look, but remained silent.

Returning his attention to the ultrasound equipment, Whale quickly took care of the necessary sanitization. "You're next, sheriff."

Emma groaned as she stood up, but was actually less nervous than she'd expected to be. Having Regina go first had greatly calmed her nerves.

After a minute of poking around, Whale called their attention back to the screen. "There's baby number two." At the couple's look of surprise, he pointed first to Regina's belly "one," and then to Emma's "two."

Both women looked visibly relieved.

Going back to the ultrasound screen he pointed to another spot. "Now _that_ , is baby number three."

Whale looked back to the couple, noticing that Emma had become visibly pale while Regina looked like a deer in the headlights. "On the plus side, you no longer have to worry about going into labor at the same time."

* * *

"You are in sooo much trouble kid," Emma teased Henry as she came in the house with Regina close behind her.

"What'd I do," Henry asked, somewhat confused.

"You know how you wanted to be a big brother?"

Henry nodded.

"And you know how two women can only make a girl, so you're getting a little sister?"

Henry nodded again, nervously waiting for the shoe to drop.

"When you made that deal with Gold, I bet you didn't think you'd end up with _three_ younger sisters."

"What," Henry exclaimed, shooting up off the couch. His wide eyes settled on Regina's belly, wondering how on earth she'd be able to fit three babies in there. "You're having triplets?"

"Not triplets," Emma replied, pointing with one finger to Regina then with two fingers at her own belly.

"You're _both_ pregnant!"

Regina gave Henry a grin. "It's not so bad. I only wanted one and that's what _I_ got."

Emma shook her head. "How rude."

"Poor Emmy," Henry replied consolingly. Walking over he gently rubbed his blonde mother's stomach. "You know, you had one last time, and two this time. Maybe you can have three next time?"

Emma gasped and swatted Henry's hand away.

"Oh dear God," Regina moaned. "I can barely imagine four children, let alone seven. We're going to need bigger cars as it is. And really, can you imagine being hounded by six younger sisters?"

Henry paled. "Maybe you're right. Best to stop now."

* * *

The family had gathered for dinner at the table on the back patio. At Henry and Emma's insistence, Regina had reluctantly agreed to purchase a charcoal grill and was making steaks for them and the Charmings. Regina would have preferred grilled chicken breast, but her pregnancy had resulted in a grave dislike for all things poultry.

Snow had brought a fruit salad, or at least she claimed it was fruit salad, Regina wasn't sure what was hiding under the thick layer of Cool Whip.

While Regina was moving the meat over to the serving platter, Emma brought out the potato and caprese salads. Henry followed behind, carrying a short stack of glass plates. Despite Emma's repeated requests, Regina had insisted that paper plates would cross the threshold of her home over her dead body.

Once everyone was settled and food was being passed around, Snow dove in head first, unable to hold herself back a moment longer. "How's the wedding planning going?"

"It's going," Emma replied.

Snow sighed and muttered, "I don't know why I even bother." Turning to Henry she asked again, "So how _is_ the wedding planning going?"

Henry laughed. "Not bad. Grampa will be giving Emmy away and I'll be doing the same for Mom."

Regina gave him a sad smile. It wasn't the Henry she wanted giving her away, but it was sweet of her boy to fill in for him.

"I think Emmy wants Ruby to be her maid of honor," Henry continued.

Emma would have preferred it be her best friend, Mary Margaret, but since she was gone…

"Mom still won't give me an answer on her maid of honor, though."

Snow gave her a sympathetic. "I suppose you don't have a lot of friends here. Abigail maybe?"

Regina shook her head. "After… no." Lifting her head she turned and looked in the direction of the town center.

"I know that look," Emma asked suspiciously. "What are you thinking?"

Hesitating, Regina lifted her glass of apple cider to buy herself time. Swallowing and setting down the glass she finally admitted, "I do have _one_ friend in town."

Four sets of eyes focused on her. "Maleficent."

David coughed suddenly and Snow's eyes widened. "We thought Emma killed her?"

"She can't exactly die, in her current state." Regina took another gulp of her cider.

Emma shrugged. "Okay. So what do we need to do to get her back?"

Snow glared at he daughter, but it was David who spoke. "You can't seriously be thinking about resurrecting that witch." He looked to Regina almost apologetically. "That Regina has been able to change as she has is a miracle, one that we can't count on happening twice."

Regina mulled that over for a moment as she took a bite of the caprese salad. "The only one here that she has any reason to hate is me." She bit her lip. "I think I owe her the same chance that I was given. I'm willing to take the risk."

"Maybe you are, but we aren't," Snow replied. "Now, if Abigail won't do there must be someone else in this town that could serve as your maid of honor."

Regina opened her mouth to protest, but stopped herself, remembering that she'd willingly bent the knee. As a decision that could affect the whole town, it was theirs to make, not hers.

Emma looked back and forth between her parents. Her superpower was pinging like crazy. "What is this really about," she asked cautiously.

"What are you talking about," David asked. He was trying to be cool, but subtle signs of panic were there, if you knew where to look. Emma did.

"You're not worried about the town," Emma realized. "You're worried about something else completely different."

Snow sputtered. "It's just… well… reviving Maleficent could be dangerous… to you… or to whoever has to try and go resurrect her."

Emma set down her fork and placed both her palms flat on the table. "You guys are lying. I don't know why you're lying, but you're really bad at it. What's really going on?"

Regina squared her shoulders. If Emma was going to start a confrontation with her parents, then she would be ready to have her back.

Looking around the table, David could tell that no one was buying their denials. Finally, he sighed. "Let's just say that Regina isn't the only one she's likely to have a beef with."


	7. 7 - Darkness

Chapter 7 – Darkness

* * *

Regina's eyes bounced back and forth between Emma on her right and the Charmings on her left. Occasionally her eyes would fall on Henry. He appeared to be just as tense as she was, waiting for the impending train wreck.

As Snow and David tried to explain away their kidnapping of Maleficent's child, Emma just sat there across from them, eyes wide and glaring. At times her hands would clench and release, but she remained silent. Sitting. Waiting.

When the Charmings finally fell silent, Henry and Regina both seemed to brace themselves for the outburst they knew was coming. Regina herself was thinking back to their night in the vault, knowing that these poor souls had no idea what was about to unload on them.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they saw Emma swallow thickly and open her mouth. The voice that came out was barely above a whisper. "Get. Out."

Snow held her hands out in front of her, the way you might when approaching an angry dog. "Emma, I know that you're upset…"

"You murdered a baby," Emma's head tilted, "for me. On my behalf." Emma's mouth moved silently as she struggled for words. "You we're so worried about what the 'Evil Queen' was going to do that you… killed a fucking baby!"

"That wasn't supposed to happen, we didn't know that," David tried pleading, before being cutoff.

"Is that supposed to make it better," Emma asked incredulously. "We didn't mean to kill the baby, we just wanted to fill its heart with darkness and damn it for eternity."

Regina briefly remembered her own attempt to tell Emma that Graham's death had been an accident. _"These idiots have no idea how lucky they are that Henry is sitting next to his mother. If he wasn't here…"_

When Snow opened her mouth, Emma held up a hand and shook her head. "Just… shut up and leave. I'm absolutely disgusted with you right now. I feel like I should go take a shower, but I can't imagine ever feeling clean again."

When Emma stood, pushing her chair back away from the table, Henry reached out and grabbed her arm. "Wait, maybe we can still fix this."

Emma looked down at him in disbelief. "Have you even been listening, kid?"

"I _have_ been listening. Better than you have, I think." Henry tensed, nervous he'd pushed too far, but continued, "The old man didn't say he was killing the baby. He said he was sending it somewhere that it couldn't do any harm."

Regina straightened in her seat, considering what her son had just said.

"If you had a magic dragon baby, filled with darkness, and you wanted to send it somewhere safe, where better than the land without magic?" Henry looked around the table, silently pleading with them to listen. "Maleficent's kid could still be alive out there, right now. If we could find them, maybe we could find a way to fix this."

Emma turned to Regina, asking her with her eyes if there was any hope or this was just Henry dreaming.

Regina considered briefly. " _If_ the child is alive… and _if_ they're here in this world… Gold _might_ be able to help us find them."

"Then I suppose we'll have to ask him," Emma replied. She looked briefly between Henry and Regina, fidgeting with her hands, before fumbling to say, "I'm just gonna head back inside and lie down for bit. I don't think I can eat right now."

Snow stood up and tried to catch her as she walked by, but Emma jerked her arm away. "You'd better hope that Gold is able to find that baby alive, because if he can't…" Emma shook her head in agitation. "You know what, I've got Henry, I've got Regina, I don't fucking need you."

A tense silence followed, marred only by the occasional sniffle from Snow.

Regina looked to her son. "Henry, why don't you help your grandparents pack up while I go check on Emmy?"

Henry nodded, then looked down at the table, waving his hand at all of the food that was still out.

"It's not important." Regina stood up and reached over to squeeze her son's shoulder. "I'll be upstairs if you need anything."

* * *

"Ms. Swan, Ms. Mills," Rumpelstiltskin began in greeting. "Come to give me the exciting news about an upcoming bundle of joy have you?"

Regina rolled her eyes while Emma gave half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, that potion of yours worked greeaaat."

Rumple's eyes narrowed. "Did something go wrong?"

Regina scoffed, "Just this one drinking half of it."

"Oh dear," Rumple replied in surprise. "Are two sets of congratulations in order?"

"Yeah, and make mine a double," Emma replied.

Rumple laughed. "Well, well. It's a good thing you have the largest home in the city to house your incoming brood."

"As amusing as I'm sure you find all this, we're actually here on business." Regina stopped across the counter from Rumple. "We have reason to believe that Maleficent's child is somewhere in this realm, and we'd like your help finding her."

"I see," Rumple began, as he contemplated how to go about finding the no-longer-a-child. "As always my help doesn't come free," he warned.

"This is David and Mary Margaret's fault," Emma replied. "Put it on their tab."

Rumple appeared to consider it for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "Very well. I'll just be a moment." He turned and headed into the back room.

Regina moved closer to Emma, taking her hand into her own. "Are you sure this is how you want to do this? I know you're mad at your parents right now…"

"No," Emma replied, cutting her off. "It was bad enough that I had to grow up in the system because they put breaking the curse over their daughter. But this… This was evil and it is totally on them. I hope Gold makes them do something disgusting, like have them take turns shaving his back every day for the rest of their lives."

"Thank you for that disturbing image, Ms. Swan. I'll be sure to pass along your warm regard the next time I see them." Rumple set a small box on the counter and opened it. Inside were two pieces of a broken baby rattle.

Regina felt her heart drop. "Was that…"

Rumple nodded. "Yes, this was to have been her child's first toy." He paused for a moment, waving his hand over the rattle, making it whole again. "This should be able to give us a glimpse into the past, to wherever and whenever the child entered this realm."

Emma and Regina both leaned in towards the toy, almost bumping heads. Inside the head of the rattle they watched a scene unfold.

 _An infant was crying. A woman was passing the infant over to a man, and asking him what he will name the girl. "Lilith. We wanna name her Lily," the man replied. The man smiled down at the girl, who continued to cry._

Emma reared back, a look of shock on her face. "No fucking way."

Regina's head snapped up and she looked at Emma in concern. "What is it? What did you notice that I didn't?"

"I know who that was," Emma replied, still in shock. "I recognized the man. I've met him, and Lily." She swallowed. "I used to know Lily. Once upon a time, she was my best friend."


	8. 8 - Reunions

Chapter 8 - Reunions

* * *

Emma stepped into the road side diner and took a random seat near the middle. A brunette woman in a yellow shirt bearing the diner's name approached her. Emma was still depressed after learning about Lily's death and could only manage a tired "Hi," as a greeting.

"Hey," the waitress replied, taking in the blonde's mood.

"Two cups of coffee and a pack of Advil. Make it two packs," Emma requested.

"Tough day," the waitress inquired.

"You don't know the half of it," Emma muttered.

The waitress looked down sympathetically. "I'll leave the pot here then."

As she sat down the coffee pot, Emma's eyes were drawn to a star shaped birthmark on the waitress's wrist. _"The fuck?"_

"I'll be right back with your Advil." With that the waitress turned and walked away.

Regina walked into the diner and sat down across from her love. "Car's being towed in. What's wrong," Regina asked in concern, having noticed the distressed look on Emma's face.

"It's… It's her." Emma stood up, feeling disoriented. She shook it off then gave a nod towards the backroom and started heading off.

"Hey. Starla," Emma began, addressing the waitress by the name tag she was wearing.

The waitress turned to face Emma as Regina walked up and stood behind the blonde. "Is something wrong? Did I bring you decaf by mistake? I'm so sorry. I always get the pots mixed up."

Emma shook her head. "Starla isn't your name, is it, Lily?"

"How do you know that," the suddenly defensive waitress asked.

"This mark," Emma replied, gesturing to the birthmark she'd noticed earlier. "You showed it to me a long time ago in a crappy Cub Foods in Hopkins, Minnesota."

"Emma?"

The blonde nodded. "I thought you we're dead. I can't tell you how happy I am that you're not."

Lily took in the look of concern on Emma's face, and the hopeful look on the face of the brunette behind her. "How did you find me?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Emma replied. "Here's the thing… I came out here looking for you for a reason…"

Lily cut her off, "Look, I don't know why you came looking for me…"

"It's about your mom, Lily. I'm here about your birth mother," Emma interrupted.

Sucking in a breath, Lily tensed up before slowly asking, "What is her name?"

Emma hesitated for a second before deciding to hedge. "Mal."

 _"Is this really happening?"_ Lily took a deep breath, playing for time, not sure what to say. "You're friend here. Her name is?"

"Regina," Emma replied before taking her hand. "And she's more than just a friend."

Lily's eyes dropped to the clasped hands then rose to take in the warmth Regina was eyeing Emma with. Suddenly it was like up was down and left was right. Nothing made sense anymore. She pointed limply at her old friend's more-than-friend. "But isn't she…"

Emma's eyes widened. "You know?"

"Maybe," Lily answered, still tense and unsure about the situation. "What's your mother's name?"

Emma looked to Regina then back at Lily. "Snow." She licked her lips. "What's the rest of _your_ mom's name?"

"Why are you here," Lily asked, unwilling to answer before knowing her visitors' intentions.

"Your mom needs our help… and we'd kind of like you to be there for her when we… help her."

Seeing the other brunette's indecision, Regina took a step closer. "We really did come here with good intentions, Lily. Your mom's an old friend of mine… and I'd really like for her to be able to meet her daughter. I know we're asking for a leap of faith, but please, trust us."

Lily crossed her arms. "Alright, I might be willing to trust you, but I need you to trust me first. When you say you want to 'help' my mom, what do you actually mean? The truth, no more of this roundabout bullshit."

* * *

It took two trips to bring Emma, Regina, Henry, Snow, David, Rumpelstiltskin, and Lily down into the cavern below the library.

"So how do we do this," Lily asked impatiently.

"Well first," Rumple began, "we need to wait for your mother to make an appearance." A shrieking sound emanated from deeper within the cave. "And I believe that would be her."

Rumple took up a position in the front of the group and waited for the apparition to show herself. When she finally came flying towards them, the dark one lifted his hand and stopped her dead in midair. Turning his head to look at Regina he asked, "If you wouldn't mind, dearie."

Regina nodded before drawing a pen knife and stepping towards the Charmings. "Sorry." _"Not sorry."_ With quick movements that neither had expected she slashed out with the pen knife and drew blood. Turning back towards Rumple she strode forward and flicked blood from the knife at the specter before them.

"Was that really necessary," Snow hissed.

"You sure you don't need more blood," Lily asked loudly, disappointed in how easily the people who ruined her life were getting off.

Regina watched as magic worked to transform the apparition back into a person. "As much as I might enjoy that, it would appear that we used enough."

Rumple turned and began walking back towards the elevator. "My part here is done, and you two," he added as he passed Snow and David, "now owe me a pair of favors."

"What," David exclaimed.

Emma turned and gave her parents a hard look. "I grew up an orphan just so that I could break a damn curse for you. Suck it up."

Seeing Snow and David appearing sufficiently chastised, Emma turned back in time to watch as a swirl of gray smoke gave way to reveal a woman in a black dress.

"Hello, old friend," Regina offered in greeting.

"You," Maleficent nearly spat. "Calling yourself my friend after trapping me down here for three decades."

"I'm sorry Maleficent, but I hope this will help make up for it." Regina gestured to Lily who stepped forward.

"And who is this," Maleficent asked coldly.

"I'm Lily. Your daughter."

Maleficent staggered back at the news before walking forward and placing her hands on Lily's arms. Searching her face she asked, "Is it really you?" She turned her head to Regina as tears threatened. "Is this really my baby?"

Regina nodded. "The Charmings' daughter helped find her for you. I know it doesn't make up for everything, but... we tried to make right what we could."

"You've changed," Maleficent noted. Turning back to her daughter she added, "But we can talk about that later. For now all I want to do is get to know my daughter."

Linking arms, the two woman walked off towards the elevator. Maleficent's gaze turned icy as she passed Snow and David, but she held her tongue.

Snow cautiously walked towards her daughter, before turning to face Regina instead. She lifted up her wounded hand, "Do you think you could…"

Regina waved her hand, healing both Snow and David. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you," Snow offered.

Regina nodded in acknowledgement. "While we're down here, I suggest we destroy the trigger once and for all. With Maleficent no longer here to stand guard, I think it the prudent thing to do."

Emma nodded. "Let's do this."


	9. 9 - Union

Chapter 9 – Union

* * *

"So I've been thinking," Henry began. He was seated at the dining room table eating breakfast with his mothers.

"Oh jeez, here it comes," Emma moaned.

"What," Henry asked.

"Really," Emma replied. "You're going to pretend that every conversation that begins with 'I've been thinking' doesn't end up being some huge deal."

"Emmy has a point, dear," Regina agreed.

Henry huffed. "It's not my fault you raised me to think."

Emma nodded. "He definitely gets that from you, the thinking thing."

After scowling at Emma, Regina turned back to Henry. "So what were you thinking, dear?"

Henry swallowed a spoonful of oatmeal before speaking. "With the two of you getting married, we need to make a decision about last names."

Both women straightened in their chairs.

"And I think the two of you really do need to share the same last name, so that my little sisters all have the same last name. It would be weird for them not to."

Emma nodded. "And I suppose you should have the same last name too." Emma grinned wryly. "I suppose that means I'm going to become Mrs. Mills."

"No," Henry replied simply, surprising both women. "I had something completely different in mind."

"Go on," Regina prodded.

"Well, the way I see it, Emmy's name comes from the family that gave her back when they had a baby of their own. They don't deserve the honor of having us carry their name." Henry paused to enjoy his mother's smirk of approval. "And Mom's name comes from her mom being the miller's daughter. But she wasn't a good parent, so we shouldn't be honoring her either."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "Charming, White, Blanchard, and Nolan are all out, so don't even suggest it."

Henry hurriedly shook his head. "Of course not. It needs to be something that defines _us, our family_. If the last year has taught me anything, it's that the storybook was completely wrong in how it tried to paint the world as black and white. That's why I think we should take the name Gray."

"Gray," Emma replied, testing the name on her tongue. "Emma Gray, Regina Gray, Henry Gray…"

Regina's right hand dropped to her stomach. "Sofia Gray."

Emma smiled. "Willow and Ella Gray."

Henry looked back and forth between his mothers and grinned. "Looks like we've picked out _all_ the names today."

* * *

When Henry first saw his mom walk out of the dressing room in her white finery he got a funny feeling in his chest.

 _"This is real. This is really happening. I've got both of my moms, I get to keep both of them, I'm not going to ever have to lose one."_ Henry blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his eyes. _"We're going to be a real family, all together forever."_

"You look beautiful, Mom."

Regina smiled widely as she looked down at her son. "Thank you, Henry. And you look so handsome in that suit. My little prince doesn't look so little anymore."

Henry grabbed his mom's hand and squeezed it. "I'll always be your little prince."

"That you will, dear. That you will."

At the sound of music beginning, Henry looked to the door then back at his mom. Tucking her hand under his arm he asked, "You ready, Mom?"

Regina squeezed his arm. "I am."

With a nod, Henry stepped forward as Archie opened the door for them.

As they walked forward, Regina's eyes locked onto her fiancée and she nearly stumbled. Henry glanced up at his mom briefly, trying to keep from bursting into laughter.

Up at the front stood Emma Swan. While she too was wearing a white dress, she was also wearing her red leather jacket. As much as she got riled up by the jacket, Regina was forced to admit, if only to herself, that the blonde had somehow made the look work.

When Regina had first stepped out, Emma had a broad smile on her face, partly from the big day and partly from looking forward to Regina's reaction. God how she loved getting a rise out of the woman. However, as she took in the sight of her son escorting his mom, her smile changed from mischievous to warm.

Ruby and Maleficent shared a knowing look. Ruby was grinning, amused by Emma's latest tweak of the formerly uptight mayor. Maleficent was smirking over the knowledge that if the blonde was doing this to her old friend at her own wedding... She stifled a giggle.

Sister Astrid, who stood in the center, did giggle, and subtly shook her head. She felt honored to have been asked to officiate, and was _trying_ to be on her best behavior. She'd have to thank Dreamy again later for recommending her.

"You look so beautiful," Emma whispered when Regina had come to stand beside her.

"And you look like you want to spend the honeymoon on the couch," Regina whispered in reply.

"And the bed, and the table, and the counter top, and the washing machine…" Emma stopped when Regina sent her a glare. "Just admit you love how I rock this bad boy."

"Naughty girl," Regina playfully scolded. "Though you do look pretty sexy right now."

Emma smiled widely and nudged Regina lightly with her elbow. "Keep that up and you might get lucky tonight."

"I'm feeling pretty lucky right now."

"I'm feeling pretty lucky, too."

* * *

The End

* * *

An older blonde woman sat in the second row from the back on the right side. With as many people as had showed up at the church, it was easy for her to blend in. Unlike other guests, her features were stoic as she watched the ceremony.

 _"My dear sister. This wasn't at all what I'd wanted for you."_

When Sister Astrid called out asking for objection to the match, the blonde bit her lip and remained silent. Trying to interfere would do no good. It was already too late to stop this.

 _"It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was supposed to get my sister."_

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur for the blonde as she remained trapped in her own thoughts. When people rose to clap and then to leave, the blonde went out with them, but did not follow to the reception. Instead, she walked down the street towards the harbor, still deep in thought.

 _"It may be too late. Then again, it may not. Either way, I can't afford to waste any more time. Elsa isn't just going to fall into my lap, so I must go get her."_ The blonde sighed heavily. _"I'm going to need to find a way back to Misthaven. And when I return, when we return, we'll have to make my newlywed sister a widow."_

* * *

 **Author's Note: The story, for the Gray family, is largely over. A third story, set in the same universe, is under development. This third story, Elsewhere, is going to focus on Ingrid and her efforts to retrieve Elsa and form her sisterhood. I'm going to need some time to nail down the plot and start writing, so don't expect to see it for at least a few weeks. If you're interested, let me know via PM or a Review and I'll be sure to PM you when it's released.**

 **Lastly, a huge thank you to all of the people who supported me with reviews and PMs as I wrote these stories. It's unbelievably helpful to know that I'm not just writing for myself. Thank you all so much.**


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